Forming Impressions

We quickly and automatically form impressions based on

observed behaviour

covariation theory

determining if a behavior is due to someone’s personal disposition or the situation

Three variables are considered to determine if a behaviour is dispositional or situational:

1. consensus

2. distinctiveness

3. consistency

consensus

considers how others behave in this situation

distinctiveness

considers how this person behaves in other situations

consistency

considers how this person behaves in this same situation at other times

Correspondent Inference Theory

understanding the motivations behind a person's behavior by examining the internal factors that influence their actions.

correspondent inference theory: three variables

1. degree of choice

2. expectation

3. intended consequences

degree of choice

the amount of freedom an actor had in choosing their opinion or behavior

expectation

how typical a particular behaviour is for a given actor

intended consequences

the goals and motivations of an actor that shape their behaviour

The Fundamental Attribution Error

belief that what people do reflects who they are

• not considering situational factors

actor-observer effect

when attributing the cause of your own behaviour, you are much more aware of situational influences

American and Indian participants were to attribute negative
behaviour to dispositional or situational factors.

• graph shows how attributions were made as a function of age

• americans adults = dispositional factors

• indian adults = situational factors

Fundamental Attribution Error is diminished in

collectivist societies

self-serving bias

• dispositional causes for your successes

• situational causes for your failures

above average effect

The bias in your perception may lead you to think you are above average on many things that may be important to you

• you think you are above average

Representativeness heuristics consider

how well a behaviour fits with a certain prototype

Availability heuristics

considers the experiences most readily available in memory

four factors of Attractiveness

• Proximity

• Familiarity

• Physical Attractiveness

• Others’ Opinions of Us

We are more attracted to people who are close

in proximity to us

• less functional distance + less physcial distance = best

We rate faces as being more attractive the more

familiar they are to us

• explains why you tend to rate faces of people you have seen before as being more attractive

mere exposure effect

describes the tendency to feel more positive towards things that are familiar, even if only seen once or twice in the past

Halo Effect

Tendency to attribute more positive characteristics to individuals that make a positive impression